(Photo by Fritz Guerin)

It wasn’t until I first sailed on a boat with an engine that I understood precisely what is most seductive about sailing. Any who have cursed the din of a motor while afloat will know exactly what [...]]]> Lifted from WaveTrain, Charles Donne’s very literate sailing/boating blog.

(Photo by Fritz Guerin)

It wasn’t until I first sailed on a boat with an engine that I understood precisely what is most seductive about sailing. Any who have cursed the din of a motor while afloat will know exactly what I mean. We feel it the very instant we switch our engines off, as the awful over-riding sound of internal combustion dies away. I call it the orgasm of silence, that moment in which it seems all of our senses have suddenly been turned on.

Considered purely on an aesthetic basis the sensuality of sailing is hardly unique. Any mode of transportation, particularly when raised to the level of sport, necessarily creates sensory stimuli, and those engaged in it will attune themselves to these. Sailors may argue that stimuli experienced while sailing are inherently more aesthetic–that the caress of the wind and the hiss of a wake must, for example, be more sublime than the roar of an engine and the smell of fuel–but this, I think, is mere prejudice. And, of course, many of the stimuli we enjoy while sailing are also experienced in other modes of boating. A canoeist or kayaker–even that lowest form of mariner, the floating motorist–may share our affinity for wind and wave, and, like us, they are subject to their dictates. But, unlike us, they are not wholly dependent on them. To other boaters wind and wave are most often obstructions; to sailors they are sustenance.

Read more here

by Steve Hunt

It’s easy to overcomplicate sailing, because it can be a pretty complex sport if you want it to be. That’s why, come race day, I stick to a few simple rules that keep me focused on the things [...]]]> From Sailing World for the last scheduled PTSA race of 2011.

by Steve Hunt

It’s easy to overcomplicate sailing, because it can be a pretty complex sport if you want it to be. That’s why, come race day, I stick to a few simple rules that keep me focused on the things that really matter. I have three rules that have never failed me, and I continually drill them into the young minds of the Point Loma High School sailing team. And if the rules can work for a bunch of fast-sailing teenagers, then they ought to work for you, too, right? Let’s review them one at time.

You can read the entire post here.

The mainsail trimmer on Fez has depowered the main to cope with a sudden gust of wind. By including a more mainsail twist, the boat remains upright and sails faster.

Technically, twist is “the change in the angle of attack from the bottom [...]]]> Lifted from mysailing.com.au written by Dave Flynn of Quantum Sails.

The mainsail trimmer on Fez has depowered the main to cope with a sudden gust of wind. By including a more mainsail twist, the boat remains upright and sails faster.

Technically, twist is “the change in the angle of attack from the bottom of the sail to the top.”

Twist is necessitated by the changing speed of the wind, hence changing angle relative to the boat, as you move away from the water. The drag induced by the water slows the wind near the surface, shifting it relatively further forward by comparison with the faster flowing wind further aloft. This effect is exaggerated at lower wind speeds.

In the real world, it means that the leech of a sail must open up to some degree as we move from bottom to top.

In mechanical terms any time the aft end of the boom is allowed to rise, (easing the mainsheet or boomvang), twist is increased. The same length of fabric is now strung between two points that are closer together, so the leech of the sail opens up. Conversely, pull down on the clew and twist is reduced, closing off and rounding up the leech. A tight, round leech creates power and forces the boat to point, but can also cause airflow to stall, or overpower the boat (create too much helm and heel). A twisted leech profile promotes airflow in light air when it is hard to get air to stay attached, and in heavy air the flatter, more open sections depower the sail and help keep the boat on its feet.

On all boats, but particularly on the new breed of fast sailboats which often rely on bigger mainsails and smaller foretriangles, having the right amount of mainsail twist for the conditions is perhaps the single biggest key to upwind boatspeed. A competent mainsail trimmer can get you in the ballpark, but the true boatspeed virtuoso understands, feels, and can implement the changes on a moment-to-moment basis that make the difference. In a very real sense, they are driving the boat as much as the helmsperson. That’s why you often see them hunched over, (usually directly in line with the view of the helmsperson), as they ply their trade. They are looking at the same inputs to guide their sense of feel and dictate the appropriate reaction: angle of heel, jib telltales, boatspeed, waves, and wind angle.

Changing wind, changing mode.

In general terms, you can think of mainsail twist in three modes. In light air use extra twist and an open leech to promote attached flow and aid in acceleration. The top batten will be open, pointing three to ten degrees to leeward from where the boom is pointing, and the top telltale should flow aft. Sailshape in light air will be full, so it is important to keep the leech open and twisted to keep the sail from stalling. Position the boom on the centerline with the traveler, once twist is set, for maximum power and pointing.

In medium conditions the boat should be moving well, so leech tension can be increased and twist reduced. This will force pointing. Overall sail shape will be flatter, so there is less danger of stall, and if the boat is up to speed, it is okay to reduce twist to the point at which the top telltale stalls (disappears behind the leech). The traveler will drop so that the boom doesn’t get above centerline, and it will be lowered further to control heel as necessary. Using the traveler to control helm and heel in moderate conditions allows the trimmer to use twist to balance speed versus pointing.

In heavy air, control of heel is paramount. More twist will help keep the boat upright. The boat will typically have to sail at wider angles (foot) to have the power necessary to blast through waves and this will generate more heel. In smooth water, the helmsperson can “feather” more, or let the inside telltales lift in puffs. The overall sail shape will be as flat as possible which will also help induce twist and open the leech. The traveler, which is great for fine tuning balance in moderate conditions, usually does not provide enough gross change to handle big puffs, so twisting the entire sail with the mainsheet works best. I typically pull the traveler up a couple of feet above the leeward coaming and play the sheet to control heel. In windy conditions, use the boom vang to help augment the mainsheet.

On a moment-to-moment basis, the game is simple, the mainsail trimmer is constantly trying to reduce twist (trim harder), as long as the boat is up to speed and heel is under control. The goal is to point as much as speed and helm allow. Keep in mind the golden rule: speed first, and then try to point.

The thought process.

Target boatspeed is 7.2, twa 38. Out of the tack, mainsheet is eased at least until top telltale is flowing or until heel is under control. Pull the traveler up with your other hand as you ease the mainsheet if you need power. Speed has turned at 5.8 and is building. Sheet harder as the speed comes back up to 7.2, lowering the traveler as necessary with other hand. Up to speed, full trim. Hmmm..seems like this tack is a little more into the waves than port was, can’t sheet quite as hard. Getting slow, ease a half inch of sheet for more twist. Skipper is pressing for speed but there is a little too much heel, ease some more. Speed climbs rapidly, too rapidly… over target, sheet harder as helmsperson feathers up. Set of waves coming, let’s press and build speed over target, ease mainsheet, a little extra heel is okay but not too much. Through the waves, back hard on the wind, sheet harder. Good angle, good speed, no big waves, sheet harder still to make the driver work.

Oops, carried away, hard to build speed, ease a fraction. Big wave, ease a bunch over the top as driver bears off to avoid the slam. Stay eased until speed is coming back then gradually sheet harder. And the game continues…

Of course, don’t think you’ve got this totally wired yet. Not only is getting twist correct a dynamic, ever changing proposition, it’s a little different on every boat.

There is no one magic combination of twist versus boom position (traveler) that works for every boat. Each reacts a little differently.

@Stuart Streuli

One evening a few years ago I had the opportunity to drive a J/24. I had logged countless hours as a tactician and bowman on the boat, but I’d [...]]]> Good article from the May 2010 issue of Sailing World by Dan Rabin on the best crew practices. It’s a team sport…

@Stuart Streuli

One evening a few years ago I had the opportunity to drive a J/24. I had logged countless hours as a tactician and bowman on the boat, but I’d never helmed it. I finally appreciated why J/24 skippers are so batty: they can’t see anything. We did well in that race, though it wasn’t because of my driving skills. I had confidence in each person doing their job, and focused on trying to keep my act together. I was the new guy, while the rest of the crew had a lot of time together, so their communication and trust level were high.

I’ve been fortunate enough to race in a lot of different classes in varying roles. While I’ve been able to develop relatively deep expertise in some positions on certain boats, I think some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned have come through switching roles. There are high-level requirements to be consistently successful as a crew, no matter what position. In addition, we tend to execute our deep expertise skills unconsciously, while letting some of the more general best practices slip.

Full article can be read on their site here.

A proper turn is just the first part of a tack. Part II – The Acceleration will complete the tack. As noted before, all the losses from tacking accrue during this critical second phase. Typically, (on keelboats) losses [...]]]> Second part of an article from Bill Gladstone of North U on the US Sailing site.

A proper turn is just the first part of a tack. Part II – The Acceleration will complete the tack. As noted before, all the losses from tacking accrue during this critical second phase. Typically, (on keelboats) losses are between one and two boat lengths. Our goal is to minimize losses. Coming out of the tack directly to a close hauled course with full trim will leave us with a long slow acceleration and result in losses of two boat lengths or more. Coming out too low, on a close reach, will provide quicker acceleration but at a low angle. The losses from slow speed are reduced here, but losses from poor initial angle take their toll.

The challenge is to strike the best balance to achieve quick acceleration at the most effective angle. The correct angle varies with conditions, with a wider angle required in lighter winds and bigger seas.

The trimmers can help. The jib should be trimmed a few inches short of full trim. As the boat accelerates, the jib trimmer trims in the last few inches, reaching full trim as the boat reaches full speed. If you have a knot meter then the jib trimmer should note the speed before tacking and count down to the driver as the boat accelerates out of the tack: “We’re 2.5 knots slow… Speed building… 2 knots slow… 1.7… 1.5… 1 knot below full speed… Half a knot… Trimming up to full trim… 2… Coming to full trim… At full speed.”

Meanwhile, the main should be eased so that the driver can steer the boat down to fully load the jib without fighting the main. If the main is over trimmed, the driver will have to fight weather helm to push the boat down to the jib, which is slow. Ideally, the main sheet will be eased, traveler pulled up to center the boom, and backstay eased to add depth and power to the main. As the boat accelerates, the main trimmer should trim to create weather helm to help bring the boat up to the ultimate close hauled course without the driver having to use the helm. As the boat reaches full speed, the main sheet, traveler and backstay will be at optimum speed and pointing settings for the prevailing conditions.
The driver should steer the boat to have the jib telltales streaming and the jib fully loaded. It usually pays-off to sail low enough to get the outside jib telltales active (but not stalled). In the vernacular, you want to “press the jib” while accelerating, whereas once you are at full speed you can sail a bit higher and perhaps allow the very luff of the jib to unload.

As the boat resumes optimum close hauled speed and pointing, the tack is complete.

If you are on the layline, now (at full speed) is the time for forward crew to start spinnaker preparations. If time allows, it is much preferred to hike out (or sit still) until the tack is complete and the boat is at full speed before starting spinnaker prep.

If you are not on the layline, then it is time to prep for the next tack. It will be here, sooner or later. Best to be… “Ready About?”

As mundane as they may seem, good tacks are essential to good racing. Make each tack a little better and you’ll save a few boat lengths every race.

Tacks can be divided into two parts: The Turn, and The Acceleration. Surprisingly, [...]]]> An article from Bill Gladstone of North U on the US Sailing site.

As mundane as they may seem, good tacks are essential to good racing. Make each tack a little better and you’ll save a few boat lengths every race.

Tacks can be divided into two parts: The Turn, and The Acceleration. Surprisingly, after The Turn you are ahead in VMG of where you would have been had you not tacked. All the losses due to tacking accrue during the critical second part – The Acceleration.

We’ll look at “The Turn” this week…

We are always ready to tack. Unless we’re on the layline, as we complete one tack the expected next maneuver is another tack. As soon as one tack is complete we prepare for the next one.

At “Ready About” do nothing, or at least, as little as possible. If hiked and sitting out board then one crew may need to turn inboard, but is it slow to have the entire crew turn in and stop hiking at “Ready About.” This slows the boat going into the tack and the penalty compounds throughout the tack. At “Ready About” you should hike harder as one crew member turns in and prepares for the jib release. At the helm, do NOT wind up (by which I mean, do not bear off onto a close reach) in preparation for tacking. Just keep sailing close hauled.

Before tacking make sure you are not tacking into bad air, and look for a relatively smooth spot to turn in. At “Tacking” lean in to heel the boat into the tack. Now is the time to create weather helm to help the boat steer itself up into the wind with minimum rudder. You can also help by pulling the traveler up as the boat turns into the wind.
Use a smooth turn.

The idea is NOT to get from tack to tack as quickly as possible, but to carry as much speed from tack to tack as possible. Too fast a turn and you throw off speed; too slow and you lose momentum. Start with a slow, smooth turn. For a brief moment you will be going almost full speed almost straight upwind. Don’t fight that….

Release the jib as it luffs or backs half way across the foredeck. Too early a release and the jib blows out to leeward, making for a slow tack. Too late, and the jib backs against the rig like a huge air brake. Release just as the jib backs so it blows across the bow in one smooth motion.

Two more details: 1) NO Creep.  Do not let the jib creep out before the release.
2) Full release: When you do release, let the jib run completely so the trimmer on the new side won’t be fighting the old sheet.

As the jib is released use a little quicker turn to get through the eye of the wind. Slow the turn as the jib crosses the rig and stop turning the helm before you are down to course.  You do not need to turn the boat all the way through to the new close hauled course; the boat will finish the turn for you. You want to finish the turn a few degrees below your ultimate close hauled course. The lighter the breeze the lower you want to come out of the tack. Perhaps five degrees low of course in light air; three degrees low in moderate breeze; and right to course in heavy air.

Many skippers over steer the end of the turn and then correct back up. Ease through the end of the turn and let the boat finish the turn for you.

A big overlapping genoa at the top of its wind range can be a bear to trim out of tacks.  The driver can help by slowing the turn just above close hauled to allow the trimmers to get nearly full trim before the jib loads up. The trimmers should be trimming hard with full wraps and the handle in place throughout the tack. Tail like crazy and grind to spin the drum and prevent over-rides when sheet load is light.

In waves or chop a quicker turn is needed, as momentum is lost faster. In waves you want to turn quickly enough so that the wave pushes the bow onto the new tack. Start your turn in a wave trough and turn so your bow passes through the waves as the bow pops up and out of the wave, such that the next wave pushes you onto the new tack. (If you cannot turn through the waves this way then you are sailing in chop….)

Meanwhile, the crew who has leaned in to create helm to start the tack should hike to the (old) windward side until the jib blows through and then spring to the (new) windward side to hike the boat flat as the sails fill on the new tack.

With the main eased a few inches and the jib trimmed a few inches short of full trim, the turn is complete.

Some ideas on where to start on the line from Dave Perry from the US Sailing site.

Just like buying a new home, the key to getting a good start is location, location, location. I divide the starting line into three regions. I call [...]]]>

Looks like a boat start was favored this night

Some ideas on where to start on the line from Dave Perry from the US Sailing site.

Just like buying a new home, the key to getting a good start is location, location, location. I divide the starting line into three regions. I call the quarter of the line nearest the pin end of the line – The Pin, the quarter of the line nearest the race committee boat – The Boat, and the section in between – The Middle. Before every start I decide which region, and what part of each region I am going to start in.

The Pin – I plan to start in The Pin when the pin end is favored (more upwind in an upwind start) or the left side of the first beat is favored (pressure, shift, current). I remind myself that starting in The Pin is the riskiest region; the most difficult to get a good start in especially if I am slow, and the hardest to find clear air after if I don’t get a good start. If I choose to start in The Pin, especially early in a series, I will start at the uppermost area of The Pin, with several boats between me and the pin.

The Boat – I plan to start in The Boat when the boat end is favored or the right side of the first beat is favored. I keep in mind that it is relatively easy to get a decent start in this region, and a quick right-hand turn (tack to port) to find clear air; so this is a good place to start if I know I am slower or less experienced than others. If a big crowd is setting up right at the boat, I slide down to the lower edge of The Boat, with several boats between me and the boat.

The Middle - I plan to start in The Middle when the line is relatively square and there is no one favored side or I am not sure which side is favored. I remind myself there are likely more open lanes to be had in the middle, and with the usually sag (and especially with a reliable line sight) it is relatively easy to get my bow out in front of the boats on either side of me at the start. It is also the most conservative place to start because it gives the most options for which way to go up the first beat, and minimizes the risk of being deep in the wrong corner of the beat. If one end or one side is mildly favored, I slide in that direction in The Middle.

Dave Perry is one of several renowned sailing experts participating in US SAILING’s 2010 Speaker Series. The author of Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012, 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes 2009-2012, and Winning in One-Designs offers up his top tactical tips beginning this week…